Molecular toxinotyping of Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile cattle isolates by PCR assays

Clostridium perfringens and C. difficile are common causes of enteritis and enterotoxaemia in humans and domestic and wild animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the enterotoxigenity of Clostridium cattle isolates by PCR assays. One hundred and nineteen bovine (faecal and intestine) samples were analyzed by culture assay. All C. perfringens isolates were screened for the characterization of the toxinotype. C. difficile strains were PCR-tested for the presence of tcdA/tcdB and cdtA/cdtB genes. Overall, 53 bovine samples tested positive: 37 for C. perfringens and 16 for C. difficile. ln two C. perfringens-positive diarrhoeic samples, C. difficile was also isolated. All C. perfringens isolates were type A; C. difficile strains resulted tcdA/tcdB and cdtA/cdtB-negative. Understanding the diversity of toxigenic strains may lead to a greater understanding of the pathogenesis in cattle and aid in the development of effective intervention methods for controlling clostridial disease outbreaks